The redevelopment of a city of Wauwatosa-owned vacant office building at 6330 W. North Ave. as the East Tosa Walkup could begin as soon as late September.
Wauwatosa’s Community Development Authority, which owns the two-story office building in the East Tosa neighborhood, has tapped Edward Haydin to redevelop the site. Haydin, managing principal of Milwaukee-based Arc-Int Architecture, plans to construct a new three-story mixed-use building that includes about 1,900 square feet of first-floor commercial space and nine market-rate apartments.
Haydin said he’s working through environmental issues on the site with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. He’s also working with contractors to settle on a price for construction costs.
“The construction market is a little heavy-handed in their pricing right now, so we have to work through some of that,” Haydin said. “But I just view that as part of the process.”
After those matters are settled, he should be able to begin demolition work in late September or early October.
“That’s the target,” he said.
Jennifer Ferguson, Wauwatosa economic development manager, said Haydin will need to submit plans for the city to review and also pull permits on the project before moving forward. City staff and the developer are also working out a development agreement and a closing date for the land sale, according to a project page on the city’s website.
The Community Development Authority is scheduled to get a project update from the developer on Tuesday. Dubbed East Tosa Walkup, the proposed development includes two commercial tenant spaces, one totaling 640 square feet and another totaling 1,300 square feet. One residential dwelling would be located on the first floor, while the second and third stories would each have four units.
Haydin’s was one of several responses the city received after it issued a request for proposals in June 2018. According to his project proposal, Haydin is working with William Bode, an experienced developer who has been involved in Wauwatosa.
Officials then narrowed their options to three, including the East Tosa Walkup; East Tosa HUB, a proposed shared workshop space catering to creative entrepreneurs and startup businesses; and a mixed-use co-living and co-working entrepreneurial hub for local bakeries, cafes and shops.
